SXSW 2011: WTF.

I generally have a good time during SXSW. It really is a lot of fun meeting people from all over who come just for this festival. Unfortunately, I felt that this year was kinda a let down. I went to a few shows that I thought were worth while but all in all I really felt like the most fun that I had was in my living room, surrounded by musicians I already know and having fried egg sandwiches at 2:30am. I guess there had to have been some fun that led up to that. On the other hand, there were some great moments. While hanging out at the Annie Street Art Collective, I had the pleasure of getting to see Spirits of the Red City, a band that claims origin from Minneapolis, New York, Chicago and Alaska. Their songs are magic. The melodies are playful, intelligent, and almost take on an erie feel occasionally accompanied by angelic harmony. Their music is real and highly recommended.


I also made my way over to Once Over Coffee Bar where not only can you get one of the best cups of coffee in town, but also during SXSW you can check out some great music. They always have a good lineup. This year I caught Dan Grissom and then The Bluegrass Outfit. Dan Grissom is a wordsmith. If you have yet to check out his band Some Say Leland, do yourself a favor. Check them out. Do it!


Trevs friends came to stay with us a week or two before SXSW and I finally was able to catch some of their music over at Flipnotics Coffee Space. Mark Growden began his set by playing bicycle handle bars. I would have never thought to make any sort of music come out of handlebars. But, Mark was able to make beautiful music with them. From there, the banjo, guitar, fiddle trio took over the crowd there on the porch. Everyone was listening intently and enjoying every minute of it. It was really awesome to see.

Maybe it was just it being my first year to live in Austin during SXSW, but I really was ready to see the crowds die off and go home, the tents come down, and the trash get picked up off the streets. But after all that, I still try to remember, what an amazing opportunity I have to live in a town where musicians from all over the world come to me and all I have to do is ride my bike around the east side, drink free beer and listen.

One of my Favorite Times of the Year

Spring is coming fast. Seed catalogs are coming in the mail and the space where my garden will be is still flat, hard, and covered in grass. I have a lot of work to do.

For Starters, I have compiled a list of spring vegetables and a list of suggested planting dates

SPRING PLANTING DATES:

Asparagus after 2/1

Beans, snap bush 3/5 - 5/1

Beans, snap pole 3/5 - 4/15

Beans, lima bush 3/15 - 4/15

Beans, lima pole 3/15 - 4/15

Beets 2/1 - 3/1

Broccoli 2/1 - 3/1

Cabbage 2/1 - 3/1

Carrots 1/15 - 3/1

Cauliflower (transplant)2/1 - 3/1

Swiss Chard 2/1 - 3/15

Corn, sweet 2/25 - 5/1

Eggplant 3/15 - 5/1

Kohlrabi 2/1 - 3/1

Lettuce 2/1 - 3/15

Cantaloupe 3/15 - 5/1

Onion, plants 2/1 - 3/1

Parsley 2/1 - 3/1

Peas, english 2/1 - 3/1

Peas, southern 3/25 - 5/20

Pepper, transplant 3/15 - 5/1

Potato 2/14 - 3/1

Potato, sweet (slips) 4/10 - 5/15

Pumpkin 4/1 - 4/20

Radish 2/1 - 5/1

Spinach 1/1 - 2/15

Squash, summer 3/5 - 5/1

Squash, winter 3/5 - 5/1

Tomato, transplant 3/15 - 4/10

Turnip 2/1 - 3/10

Watermelon 3/15 - 5/1

Note: These planting dates are for the Texas Hill Country area. Planting dates vary from region to region. Check local university horticulture websites for possible planting date lists or go to the farmers markets in your area and start picking brains. No one knows better than the people who are market farming. Also, when choosing your seeds, look for information on which varieties grow best in your region.

After ordering my seeds I am going to work on my plot before they arrive. As I said, the area is still hard as a rock with mediocre soil. I will be bringing in soil and creating a raised bed. The best feature of this garden: it's right outside my front door. Yes!

Well, it is off to ordering seeds.

So This is The New Year: a brief rambling.

My mind is flooded. With all good things of course. Productive, creative ideas are almost throwing themselves at me like they never have before. Exactly what I wanted to happen with this New Year.

I feel as though I should make some sort of documented goal list. This is something that I never do which ultimately leads me to not finishing things that I start but then lends me the luxury of not having a list of failed goals at the end of the year. It's an awful way of looking at goals really. This year is the year of projects! (Note the exclamation point. I really am excited!)

So here is the list.

1. I have a nest. It's evolving into quite the comfortable space but is still needs some work. I will be in a comfortable space in 8 months.

2. Create my new garden space in the front yard and document it's progress on HGG.

3. Show my Art. I have never shown my art...ever. This year I am creating a show and hosting an opening.

4. Start making big steps towards making a living off of my craft. Start by re-vamping my etsy store and put together items for this year's Renegade Craft Fair.

So there it is, folks. In writing. These are my projects for 2011.

Wish me luck!

Get Your Soup Bowls Out.

That's right boys and girls.

Soup Season.

Yes, indeed, it is the best time of year.

I admit. I am usually not a recipe user when it comes to soups. I am typically the type of person that grabs all the veggies that I have and immediately cook them all together, maybe process one half of the soup and make it spicy, add some crushed tomatoes...voila! Soup!

This season will be different. This is the season for something different.
This season I do the nerding-out with Soup.

For my first recipe, I introduce to you African Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew.

Holy crap.

This is awesome. Here is the recipe.

Here's what you need:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 med sized yellow onion, chopped
1 med sized green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp light brown sugar
1 tsp peeled and grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp cayenne (although I always add more.)
1 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes.
1 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 c vegetable stock
salt
1 15 oz can dark red kidney beans
2 tbsp smooth natural peanut butter
1/2 c chopped unsalted dry-roasted peanuts

Here's how you make it:
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, cover and cook until softened, about 5 min. Add the bell pepper and garlic, cover and cook until softened, about 5 min. Stir in the brown sugar, ginger, cumin, cinnamon, and cayenne and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the sweet potatoes and stir to coat. Stir in the tomatoes, stock, and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the vegetables are soft, about 30 min. About ten min before the end of the cooking time, stir in the kidney beans and simmer until heated through. Place the peanut butter in a small bowl and blend in about 1/4 c of the broth, stirring until smooth, then stir into the stew. If a thicker consistency is desired, puree one cup of the stew in a blender or food processor and stick back into the pot. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Sprinkle with the chopped peanuts.

Okay, now go make it!

And now, Austin.

Well, after over 7 years in San Marcos, Texas, I made the move. That's right boys and girls, I finally did it. Almost every San Martian didn't leave me with a "Goodbye" but rather a "You'll be Back."

Bad news guys. Probably not going to happen.

Don't get me wrong. I love San Marcos. I miss the river and I sometimes feel as if the energy that the river provides has now been taken from my body. There are more things that I learned in the last 7 years from living there than I feel like I could have taken from anywhere else. The River and it's people hold a very special place in my heart. But, it was time.

Now, I am in Austin. Living on the East side. Living with my love, a kitten and my neurotic border collie/sheltie. Nico Morning Glory Biscuit Hurt-Smith, my kitten, and Roadie, my lovely canine companion. We all share a cute little 2 bedroom back guest house in a great little neighborhood on the East side. Close to breakfast tacos and coffee. Both of these are a big bonus.

I am working in coffee. Who is surprised? Yes, yet another coffeehouse. I do love where I work though. I started at Flipnotics Coffeespace about 3-4 months ago. So far, I love it. I love the people I work with and being a part of the barista community here in Austin.

I ride my bike everywhere. How lovely living in a place where people are used to seeing bikes. San Marcos, you are almost there, but now quite. One thing San Marcos does have on Austin, you can bike home from the bar in less than 10 min, wherever you live, and its flat. My first time riding home from the bar in Austin? Hell.

Did I mention how much I love my new space? Our extra room is just waiting to turn into an art studio. Once we remove the extra mattress, and move in a large table, it will be on. There are several projects that I want to start working on. Of course there is my long running goal of finally putting together an art show. I haven't ever done that. I WILL create a collection of painting and various art projects and I WILL have a showing. Then there is the 2 twin mattress couch that I want to be in my living room. A quilt. An elaborate bird costume for Trevor and my own enjoyment. I feel that if I create my room, my room will create inspiration in me.

Trev wants to start brewing beer. When I say "wants" it's more like I am saying that he has been consumed with the thought of brewing beer. Once he got it into his head, the nerding-out began. He reads all the blogs, listens to all the podcasts, analyzes every beer he drinks. It's kinda adorable. It's kinda nutty. Every time we order beer I learn why it tastes the way it does, what temperature it has to be at, what kinda barley, on and on and on and on. But, no really, it's adorable. Hopefully, all of the nerding-out is helpful and we can have amazing beer! We both have our projects. We both are trying to inspire each other. Trying to figure out how to make our creativity come alive. I hope I get to taste his creativity coming to life soon! Hopefully is first beer is a stout. hint. hint.

So, here's to creativity. Here's to movement.

Take it from the top...

Well, i had to abandon the garden. It may have been the love of my life at the time and I had to leave it. Ah, failed relationships. But! I am in a new spot with a garden that could use some love. Luckily, I have some love to give.

I am living with some amazing people in San Marcos. Initially my plan was to do some natural building on the property, essentially building a bedroom. It's a communal living situation so that is really all I would need. Unfortunately, the city and one of our neighbors didn't think that building something on the property without a permit was a good idea. Oh, bureaucracy. Go figure. So, back to the drawing board. Now, i shall weigh my options. Austin? Wimberley? San Marcos?

I have been spending as much time as possible with an amazing man whom I have fallen in love with. He is in Austin, I am currently still in San Marcos. We want to change that. Maybe I can have a partner in my next garden. That sounds nice.

Well, so, I will be starting over completely. I am excited about working a new space, learning it, growing with it. We will see where it goes from here.

Fall Gardening

It has been a while since my last post. Mostly because I have been so busy between working at the coffeehouse and the plant nursery, not to mention it being wedding season. Everyone that I know is getting married! 5 weddings this fall/winter! Doesn't that seem like a lot?

Anyway, I have put together my seed order for my Fall garden! This is very exciting, for it is my first Fall garden! Yay! Through various bit of research, I have found the following dates to be the dates that you plant at. I am going to try these out this Fall and then make my own changes to the dates if necessary. Planting dates are really funny. It really makes me wonder why anyone would put down any specific date in books about gardening. They are all different. In San Marcos, I very well could have a different planting date than those who live below the escarpment. It would only vary by a few days probably but you get the idea.

Alright, planting dates:

Beans

Snap 9/1

Lima 8/20

Broccoli 9/1

Cabbage 9/1

Carrots 11/10

Chard, Swiss 10/1

Collards 10/10

Garlic October

Lettuce, Leaf 10/10

Onion 11/1

Peas, Southern 8/1

Potato 9/1

Pumpkin 9/1

Spinach 11/15

Squash

Summer 9/10

Winter 8/10

There are a few things that I didn't realize. I thought that the only time that you could plant potatoes was on Valentine's Day and I didn't realize that you grow peas in a fall garden. Crazy.

I have done some ordering from both the Seed Savers Exchange catalogue as well as the Bountiful Gardens catalogue. I have also drawn up the plans for the fall garden. I will post that in a couple of days.

Some things that I have to get done before planting/things I have procrastinated on:

- Widen the beds, making smaller rows

- Mulch all the paths

- Install a soaker hose

- Begin planting starts (I have broccoli and some gourds started)

- Purchase some soil and compost for the beds

- Start some new compost

As far as my goals go for the fall:

- Start and complete a successful compost pile

- Start composting worms.

- Practice more with companion planting

- Practice more planting in succession

- Start a seed bank

My spring/summer garden was all in all a success. It was really my first garden to collect a small harvest from and was definitely a challenge. Towards the end of the season, I let the garden go. The consecutive over 100 degree days put so much stress on my plants and the water bill that in the end, it didn't make sense to me, financially, to continue putting so much work into the garden without getting enough harvest. Something that I know would have helped that is soaker hoses. A more thorough watering system. That is what I needed. Ah well. You learn, eh?